Gold Member

Okay Jonb mentioned something in another thread and it seemed pretty interesting...But what movies or shows do you think best represent and portray gays accurately...Personally - I have seen the L Word and the one w/the guys (just can&#39;t remember the name right now) on Showtime, and Will and Grace and movies like A home at the end of the World, Philadelphia, Kissing Jessica Stein, and some I just can&#39;t remember the names...But I really have no clue if this is an accurate portral or not since I don&#39;t live the lifestyle...But I think it would helpful for someone who might be curious or young to get an accurate portrayal...I actually do like the L word...Gave me a new perspective about Lesbians and gays in particular...

Gold Member

I think one of the reasons that these shows aren&#39;t always "accurate" representations is that they are trying to reach enough of an audience to draw ratings which, in turn draw advertisers. So they have to aim WIDE instead of narrow and discreet. I have watched Queer as Folk. I know Pittsburg isn&#39;t like that and the fact that all the guys are very handsome is just wrong (same with the L Word). There are "regular" looking people in the world who are cool as well. I do appreciate the fact that some of the guys on QAF are butch and some are fem. I also appreciate some of the issues they raised --like the gay high schooler sleeping with a football player and then being the victim of a hate crime (Baseball bat to head) by the same player when he shows up at the prom with his very hot , older gay BF and they dance around and kiss in front of everyone. And the HIV neg guy who falls for a positive guy and what his family friends think of that. They also go into his mom and her BF (who leaves when he finds she has a gay son) and ho they work through that (or don&#39;t).

As an artist--I used to get challenged in college--by women who wnted me to protray woman "differently." My blanket response is that you can not/should not expect others to protray YOU the way you prefer to be protrayed--b/c they will/can only portry you the way they see/want to see you.

A movie which I found quite stunning is "Wild Reeds" ( Les Roseaux Sauvages ; a 1994 French film set in the time of the Algerian War.

It is a coming-of -age film involving 3 young men at a boarding school. One is the great friend of the wonderfully portrayed daughter of a communist teacher; he is gay and has a sexual encounter with another ( straight) ) student whose brother is a conscript in the war.
The third male is a little older, and is embittered about Algeriia, and also falls in love/lust with the young woman.

There is a great scene with all the characters swimming in a river on a hot day: the music is Samuel Barber&#39;s Adagio.

I found it a very moving story, and a wonderful depiction of all the certainties/uncertaintities of adolescence, and the confusion and the angst , and the unrequited desires.

It is a beautifully put together film.

Maybe not quite what PNG had in mind when he started this thread, but it is certainly what I would consider a very sensitive/moving/funny account of a gay young man.

( There is also a very funny/moving scene when he goes to the the reputed gay in his town to ask his advice. The reputed gay man does not know what he is talking about).

I caught this film by accident when I was on holidays a few few years ago.

It is funny, sexy, and very moving/involving. It is also philosphical, and has characters who argue and debate.

So it is a movie with a strong gay theme/perspective, but just like life, there is a lot else in it as well.

If PNG, or others, are interested, I might recoomend a few other films that are not in the Hoolywood style. Let me know.

it is impossible to give a good image of a gay person. We are just as differant as straight people. Some you will recognise others you will be surprised although they are out of hte closet.
Please don&#39;t look for a typical gay. It only gives prejudices

Gold Member

PNG, you can look for an accurate portrayal of gay men in the media on Bewitched since BOTH Darrens were gay. And on The Brady Bunch, since Robert Reed a.k.a. Mike Brady, was gay, too. In fact, he was Rock Hudson&#39;s lover, I believe.

Were they acting? Yes. Were they acting natural, like they would in their day-to-day lives? Yes to that as well, I suspect. It really takes a lot to draw attention to yourself as a conspicuously gay man--many choose to do it, and god bless them for it. But not everyone.

So any character that acts normal and is not identified as either gay or straight is an accurate portrayal of a gay man, IMHO.

I must agree with txquis about the The Sum of Us. A splendid little movie, one of Crowe&#39;s first, and still one of his best. BTW, Jack Thompson, who played his father, has quite a sexual reputation himself--bare-assed in Sunday Too Far Away and an early Cosmo centrefold.

Originally posted by Pene_Negro_Grande@Feb 23 2005, 01:55 AMOkay Jonb mentioned something in another thread and it seemed pretty interesting...But what movies or shows do you think best represent and portray gays accurately...Personally - I have seen the L Word and the one w/the guys (just can&#39;t remember the name right now) on Showtime, and Will and Grace and movies like A home at the end of the World, Philadelphia, Kissing Jessica Stein, and some I just can&#39;t remember the names...But I really have no clue if this is an accurate portral or not since I don&#39;t live the lifestyle...But I think it would helpful for someone who might be curious or young to get an accurate portrayal...I actually do like the L word...Gave me a new perspective about Lesbians and gays in particular...

[post=285657]Quoted post[/post]​

Click to expand...

Someone else said they liked Beautiful Thing and The Sum of Us, and I can agree with those. I would also add Latter Days and Love, Valour, Compassion. Although neither represents ALL of the Gay community, they do accurately portray parts of the community. I have known many people like Christian in Latter Days. I also have known many people like Aaron, although without the Mormon background.

Love, Valour, Compassion portrays several parts of the community. The characters accurately represent several "stereotypes" of the community.

Russell Crowe&#39;s portrayal in The Sum of Us was pretty spot on for many gay guys. And the kids in Beautiful Thing may be too utopian, but show pretty well the trials and tribulations of coming out.

I personally act like Jack one minute, and Will the next.

The stereotypes on Queer as Folk exist as well. There are many "Brian Kinney"s out there, as well as the "Justin"s, "Emmett"s, "Vic"s, "Micheal"s, "Ben"s, et al. The point is that the Gay community is as wide and varied as is the straight community.

Gold Member

Ok - I could not remember Queer as Folk at first...So the guy Brian on the show...Is that an accurate portrayal of a gay guy that some have met...He is very masculine on the show and I almost forget he is gay...And he has a serious attitude...

Originally posted by headbang8@Feb 24 2005, 03:22 AMPNG, you can look for an accurate portrayal of gay men in the media on Bewitched since BOTH Darrens were gay.
hb8

[post=285861]Quoted post[/post]​

Click to expand...

Actually, If I remember correctly, only the 2nd Darren, AKA Dick Sargent was the only one who revealed himself as gay. Dick York, well with his back problems and later on at the end, emphysema, it would&#39;ve been plausible if he had since there was really no mention of it that I remember.

I haven&#39;t watched any of these gay shows with serious attention..basically I have never watched one full episode.

For me, I like the fact that I am gay, and am proud, but I&#39;ve never felt the need to be part of the gay scene. Its not something that really interests me greatly.

Just think about this, most of these TV shows show a biased account of a gay life. The point of the show is to show that, the gay life, so they have to go the extreme to do that. Its also a show so it needs drama and action to make it exciting. If you go to the middle, you show a fairly normal life by the standards, and that does nothing. So I would say, you see the extremes in every way you can think of.

You also have to figure, that the gays that live their life more in the middle, and very low profile will also not be presented well out there, since they dont want to be in the scene and so on, so you only really see one side.

For me, I live a pretty straight life, not just in the things that interest me but also most of the friends I have are straight.

Gold Member

There is a great scene with all the characters swimming in a river on a hot day: the music is Samuel Barber&#39;s Adagio.

[post=285680]Quoted post[/post]​

Click to expand...

I haven&#39;t seen the movie, but Barber&#39;s "Adagio for Strings" may be the most movingly beautiful piece of music I&#39;ve ever heard. Incredibly emotional. I recommend it to one and all.

On topic: Anyone else here watch the HBO Series The Wire? The character of Omar is openly gay. He is also one of the most convincingly ruthless/badass/tough characters I&#39;ve seen in movie or show -- just a total thug badass. His nickname is &#39;Omar the Terror&#39;. They take the gay stereotype and turn it upside down. GREAT show, by the way.

Originally posted by Pene_Negro_Grande@Feb 24 2005, 02:57 AMI forgot...I actually saw Latter Days...So you would say that is an actual portrayal...I actually liked that movie...

[post=285910]Quoted post[/post]​

Click to expand...

If you have the opportunity to see it on DVD, play the commentary. The writer - director talks about all of the parts that came from his real life. And the actors, both straight, talk about the roles and story line. Even the snow storm story has some basis in fact.

Yes, there are people like these in the gay community. There are people like the characters in Queer as Folk, The Sum of Us, Jeffrey, etc. The point is that gay people really are just the same as straight people. We smile, we laugh, we cry, we bleed, we envy, we covet, we love, we hate. Our experience is different, but very much the same. Our "oppression" makes many of us stronger, more determined, more expressive, but we share that with many other "oppressed" people as well.

What? No one mentioned Torch Song Trilogy? Yeah, there are definitely stereotypes in it, but there are also fresh views of gay men who can live a gay version of marriage and even adopt a child. And there are funny scenes and tragic scenes. It&#39;s the best piece that Harvey Fierstein ever wrought.

Gold Member

Oh, Simpsons recently had a twist on the old "Surprise&#33; She&#39;s a man&#33;" joke. Basically Springfield&#39;s now allowing gay marriage, and Patty&#39;s getting married. The surprise is that the other bride is a transvestite.

An early 1980&#39;s German film is Taxi Zum Klo ( Taxi to the Toilet: there is a glory hole scene, hence the title).

The film concerns two men who live together, but their lives are quite separate. One is a school teacher who lives a dual life. At night, he is on the prowl, quite voraciously, through gay Berlin while his lover cooks and cleans and keeps house: all the while dreaming of their future life in a nice house with a white picket fence.

The two worlds collide at the Berlin Queens Ball.

The two principal actors were a couple in real life: the voracious one was the director.

It is very gritty, and funny too.

It is a very long way from a Hollywood movie in its portrayal of a gay couple. Don&#39;t expect Hollywood-style production values though.

Gold Member

RunnerSF: Beautiful Thing did an amazing job of showing how nerve wracking being gay and a young person can be. I&#39;ve watched it several times and it always brings out deep emotional responses relating to my own coming out. Very good film.

Originally posted by txquis@Feb 23 2005, 06:48 AMThe documentary THE CELLULOID CLOSET, which i highly recommend, is a great starting point for a discussion of gay and lesbian characters in movies...but they dont discuss television stuff.

QUEER AS FOLK always turned me off, because...while it it a somewhat accurate depiction of *someone&#39;s* gay experience, it doesn&#39;t reflect my own very much.

I like the boys in the film BEAUTIFUL THING.
They are just "guys"...and similar to the way my first bf and i were together
in our youth.

I liked Russel Crowe&#39;s character in the film THE SUM OF US. In fact, that film is my own story
in many ways.

VerifiedGold Member

i absolutely loved Beautiful Thing -not only was it a great representation of what its like for many people to grow up and find themselves and come to terms with your sexuality, etc, but it was also a really well done film in general.

queer as folk has come to be one of my favorite shows. at first, i thought the first season was over the top, but i think that it has improved immensly, and i think it represents a lot of serious issues that go on in the gay community as well as some of the serious issues between heterosexist american culture and the gay community. i think that it often borders on softcore porn a bit much, but i think that it hits the right issues every once in a while. its entertaining at the least.

i think that the issue presented here is that all of these people are just doing their jobs: acting. its hard to portray anything perfectly, and even if the actor is gay and has a personal connection to the character, its hard to make that connection visible to an audience. as an actor, i know from experience that a lot of times its impossible to portray a person perfectly.

beautiful thing is great- they nailed everything, and i connected with a lot of it, but even then there were things that were missing. i think that most movies and tv shows out today that have gay characters either go over the top and exploit steriotypes (dont get me wrong, i absolutely love will and grace) or they convey too much of the dark depressing drama behind it (like a lot of the stuff on QAF)

ive yet to really see a show or movie that has a gay guy or girl in it where they dont focus in on it -yey you see tons of stuff with striaght people in which that person&#39;s sex life and such isnt mentioned at all, just plainly assumed.